Decorating Open-Plan Living Spaces in North London: Zones, Colour, and Flow

Open-plan living has transformed the ground floors of thousands of Victorian and Edwardian North London properties — removing the dividing walls between kitchen, dining, and sitting rooms to create a single flowing space that suits contemporary living. But open-plan decoration is more complex than single-room decoration: colours need to work together across different zones, different activities, and different orientations.

The Single vs Multi-Colour Approach

There are two broad schools of thought: using a single colour across the entire open-plan space for visual unity, or using two or three closely related tones to define different zones. We find the single-colour approach works best in spaces with consistent orientation and similar light quality throughout. Where the orientation changes significantly (e.g. a south-facing kitchen running into a north-facing sitting zone), using slightly different tones — warmer for the darker zone, slightly cooler or lighter for the brighter zone — produces a more visually satisfying result.

The Kitchen Zone

In open-plan spaces, the kitchen zone typically has the most fitted elements — fitted units, splashback tiles, and often an island. The wall colour behind and around the kitchen should work with these fixed elements rather than fight them. In practice this means the kitchen wall colour choice should be made after the kitchen itself is fitted, or at minimum with the kitchen specification agreed in detail.

Joinery in Open-Plan Spaces

In an open-plan space, the joinery — skirting, window boards, reveal linings, any glazed doors — reads continuously across the whole space. We recommend a single consistent woodwork colour throughout, which creates visual continuity and simplicity.

Open-plan decoration is one of our most frequently requested project types across NW3, NW6, and N6. Call 020 3874 2670 for a consultation.